


Crimson Pawn

by DD_Dreamer



Category: Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, F/M, Out of Character, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 16:11:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15644295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DD_Dreamer/pseuds/DD_Dreamer
Summary: What if Yuki is still a vampire with suppressed pureblood powers and her memories are still in tact? Kaname and her still have to exact revenge on Rido for murdering their kin. However, Rido is the King of Vampires, making him impossible to reach and Kaname is his servant. Everything falls on Yuki. She will turn revenge into a game of chess. May the smarter one triumph.





	1. Haunting Dream

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm trying something new by writing a Vampire Knight (VK) fanfiction -and this is my first one- since I always loved the manga and anime. Please, feel free to enlighten me about VK anytime.
> 
> This is a "what if" type of fanfic. What if Yuki was never turned into a human and she lived with her brother, Kaname Kuran, instead of growing up with Kaien Cross? This how I imagine things will be. 
> 
> Also, I spelled the names for this fandom as I find them on Google Wikia. Please read with an open mind. Thank you.

Strong arms wrapped around me as a soft voice whispered in my ear. "I'm sorry, Yuki." One arm loosened from around me and gently brushed the hair away from my face. It was dark in the empty hallway and the smell of blood was getting stronger. I hugged my mother as my fear rose. The blood was heady and familiar. As a vampire, I recognized whose blood was being shed.

"Fa-th-er," I squeaked.

"Everything will be alright," my mother said. Her words were meant to comfort me but I knew better. Father's blood was a warning that whoever was after us was far stronger than any of us. Mother, big brother and I couldn't get out of here alive.

"Mommy, I'm scared," I whispered. Tears fell from my eyes and down my cheeks as I buried my face against the crook of her neck. "It's getting closer."

She hugged me tighter. "Yuki, my dearest daughter," she said next to my ear. She pushed aside some hair away from my face before she continued. "Please forgive me."

I pulled away from her. "Mom-my?"

Even in the dark, I could see my mother's saddened brown eyes staring back at me. "You won't understand today but someday you will."

"Mom..."

"We are purebloods and your Uncle Rido is after you because of my fatal mistake. In order to protect you, I will seal away your pureblood powers. I won't turn you into a human. That will leave you too vulnerable. Instead, I will make you into an ordinary vampire and no one but your big brother will be able to know your true identity."

I didn't understand what her words meant but I could tell from her action, she was saying goodbye.

"Mommy," I squeaked as I hugged her tightly.

"Stay by Kaname's side. He is cursed to carry darkness and you are his only light."

"Mommy!" I said desperately. Her voice was fading.

"Promise me," she said weakly. Her grip loosened around my form.

"Mom!" I pushed away from her chest and my eyes widened at the sight in front of me. My mother's arms went limp at her sides as she fell down to the floor. Blood marred her once beautiful and ethereal face. It traveled down her body, staining her light dress and pooling around her prone form. I backed away stunned. Words were caught in my throat as the unnatural vampire glow faded from her eyes.

The smell of her blood mixed with father's blood.

I backed away until I lost my balance. My rear hit the ground hard as my shallow breaths filled the eerie silence in the hallway. There was no way mom could be dead. Then more tears burst from my eyes.

It didn't register in my mind when a door opened by my side to let the light pour into the dark hallway or when a hand shot out and dragged me into a windowless room. The sudden shaking of my whole body and my brother's pale face were the only real things that shook sense into me and then I was in his arms, holding on for dear life as my cries echoed in the room I had known all my life. It was the same room that my parents kept me under lock and key for the fear of what the Council had in store for the pureblood vampires. It was the only room my family gathered in and told me stories about the outside world when I wasn't allowed to leave the house.

I was kept hidden but Uncle Rido knew about my existence and he wanted me.

"I'm sca-red," I sobbed into my brother's shoulders. I could feel an ominous presence getting closer to us. The air around us intensified. I could hear the sound of shoes hitting the polished floors. "Mommy." I struggled to get out of my brother's hold as I realized our mother's lifeless body lay in the hallway for the monster to find.

"No," Kaname warned me. "We can't go out there yet!"

"But mommy!"

"She's gone!" I beat against his chest with my fists but he was stronger than me. He pulled me against his frame and buried my face against his neck.

"Mommy!" I tried to cry out her name but he muffled my cry with one of his hands.

"He will be distracted by her blood but if you make too much noise, he'll come for us."

The footsteps got louder outside the door and then it suddenly stopped. My sobs died as I strained my eyes to see the doorknob. I waited for the knob to turn and for the door to fling open to reveal the monster. Instead silence greeted us.

"This must be our chance," Kaname said. "I will count to three and when I do, we'll make a run for it outside the house. Do you understand?"

I somewhat nodded my head.

"And no matter what you do, don't look back." He didn't remove his hand from my mouth.

Again, I nodded.

"Okay," he whispered. He breathed in before he slowly counted out the numbers. "1, 2 and 3."

He quickly let me go to only grab and tug on my hand. With his other hand, he pushed open the door and ran into the hallway with me in tow. The light from the windowless room provided a little glow but it was enough for me to see the gruesome sight. I should have listened to my brother's words but I couldn't fathom the idea of leaving our mother's dead body behind.

My head turned while my brother pulled me with all his might. Yet nothing could have prepared me as I watched a lithe figure crawling on the floor. His tongue was licking at the excess blood around our mother's dead body. His dark and beady eyes turned towards me as he raised his head and his bloody lips turned upward in a menacing smile. My lungs froze as my heart lurched in my throat.

Then I heard his wicked laughter follow us all the way down the hallway.

oOo

I awoke in a large bedroom, drenched in sweat. The blue light bulb from across my bed flashed at me, causing me to squint my eyes. I shook my head as I swiped a hand through my damp tresses. It was another night my parents' death haunted me in my dreams. Lately, I had been having recurring dreams about their deaths. It was as if my dreams were warning me about something, but I didn't know what.

I sat up and the bed sheets fell to my waist, exposing my thin bage tank top. I pushed away the heavy sheets, to swing over my legs to side of the bed. Instantly, I noticed how the usual gray sweat pants I slept in was nearly falling from my waist. It was a good thing Kaname wasn't here to see it or else his dark eyes would linger there and flash red. I rose and lifted my slender arms over my head. I stifled a yawn with the back of my hand before making my way to the metal doorframe of my room. I switched another light on and headed to my desk where an open journal and pen was waiting for me. I made a habit to write down my dreams, no matter how painful or absurd they were because I believed they sent key messages or warnings. Mostly, I told Kaname about my dreams to discover their meanings, but for some reason I couldn't talk to him about our parents' deaths. Their deaths happened a long time ago that I couldn't remember how old I was.

The chair scraped across the wooden floor, as I pulled it out to take a seat. I winced at the sound, hoping it didn't alert Kaname of my presence. I wanted enough time to record my dream in detail. As I turned to a new page and began to scribble down the events that I could recall, I heard a sudden twitch of a lock being unbolted. Quickly, I closed my book, opened a draw and tossed the book inside it while the metal door opened to reveal my tall and handsome brother.

He walked right into my room as though he owned it and he made himself comfortable on my unmade bed. I sighed as I turned my whole body toward his direction. Momentarily, his eyes roamed my figure, taking in the curves my beige tank top exposed and low dip of the sweat pants at my hips. I could have sworn I saw his eyes flashed red but it was my imagination. His eyes usually turned red if he lusted for blood or if he used his vampire powers. He had fed from me four hours ago and my blood had enough sustenance to hold him over until the next day unless he used his vampire pureblood power. If he did use his power, then he had to feed twice from me. The only problem was he had to be careful how he spilled my blood because it intoxicated other vampires. We learned it the hard way after our parents died.

We were running through the forest to get away from Uncle Rido when the branches from a tree sliced my face. Blood leaked out from the shallow cut, but it was enough to attract a Level E vampire nearby. Usually, Level E vampires were humans who turned into vampires but due to their constant craving for human blood, their minds became degenerate. They simply turn into mindless zombies searching for human blood and flesh to gorge in. Kaname saved my life by crushing the Level E vampire's head. I would never forget how his eyes brightened with bloodlust as he licked the vampire's blood off his fingers.

From then, we learned that although my blood still maintained the sweet aroma that purebloods carried, my pureblood powers dispersed. I wasn't human since I could still drink blood but I couldn't use any powers at all. I became an ordinary vampire, Level C or probably Level D. As long as my blood remained in my body, other vampires such as the noble vampires and the pureblood vampires would think I was an ordinary vampire.

"Yuki," my brother greeted me in a husky tone.

"Brother," I returned, knowing that I could only refer to him by that title when we were alone. If there were other people around, I referred to him by our last name as a form of respect and his title, a pureblood.

"I see you're awake."

I closed the draw with my elbow while keeping my attention on him. "I couldn't sleep," I answered truthfully. He would be able to scent my deceit.

"You care to share your dreams with me?" he questioned as he pushed his body upright. He leaned forward on the bed with his elbows on his knees. He gave me one of those intense stares, which left me feeling unnerved.

My lashes lowered as I shifted uncomfortably on the chair. "I don't know."

"You don't know about what?"

"I... don't th-ink.. it's important," I stuttered like some school girl idiot.

He was up in a flash. His large form knelt before me so he was at level with me. His large and warm hand gently pushed aside my bangs until I had no choice but to look at him.

"Everything you tell me is important," he revealed to me. He gently brushed the back of his hand against my right cheek. His eyes turned gentle. He was only this gentle and warm when he was with me. When he was with other people, he became cold, commanding and elegant. His change in demeanor came with his status as a pureblood. Pureblood vampires were considered royalty.

"I know but I don't want to burden you with any more trivialities." I turned my gaze to the silky black buttoned up top he wore.

His knuckles grazed the bare skin of my throat until it was under my chin. His fingers curled around the curve of my chin and he gently tilted my head. He used his knuckles as a leverage to keep my chin in place, my eyes were leveled on his unusual red-brown eyes. I couldn't look away from him. "You can never burden me, Yuki."

Our relationship was quite different and awkward from other normal relationships. In the human world, siblings couldn't be together because it was considered incest. Incest was a taboo. In the vampire world, incest was normal. It was how most pureblood vampires were able to exist, especially the Kuran family. Kaname and I were brother and sister and we agreed a long time ago to follow in our parents footsteps. We were going to be like them when we got older. However, Kaname wasn't my real brother. He was a distant ancestor of a Kuran who replaced my brother's body.

"I know," I responded. My eyes drifted shut as my forehead slightly touched his.

Maybe if I lived as a human and was raised with their customs then I would think of our relationship as wrong. _Perhaps._ But it felt _right_ to be with him.

His hot breath puffed against my face, stirring a hunger inside me. My heart quickened and my throat went dry. I pulled away from him and breathed in a large amount of air into my lungs. I was afraid to open my eyes because he might see my bloodlust.

"Yuki," his smooth voice called to me.

Another breath escaped me as my body shuddered from the catch in his masculine tone.

"Look at me." His breath was hot on my cheek.

Stubbornly, I shook my head.

"Yuki," he admonished in a serious tone.

When Kaname turned serious, he was showing his regal side, which refused any denials or rejections from his requests. I gulped, knowing he might punish me if I refused to open my eyes.

"Yuki, open your eyes."

I inhaled a breath through my nose before doing as he commanded and my heart fluttered as his dark orbs searched my own. "Were you simply going to deny your hunger?" he chided me.

I settled with crossing my arms over my chest. "You and I both know I can't feed from you," I reminded him. I had to constantly warn him about what would happen if I ever drank his rich blood. Any vampire would detect his blood running through my veins and I would be severely punished or sentenced to death.

"Don't give me that cryptic stuff," Kaname's voice lowered an octave. "There's no one but Seiren to scent my blood and she's the only other person who knows who you are."

Seiren was our friend and bodyguard. Kaname stumbled across her plight when he was away on a Council Meeting trip. She had lost her home and family due to the Council and came on our doorstep with bloody and tattered clothing. Kaname and I decided for her to stay with us and she had been with us ever since.

I turned my head away from him before sighing. "What about that insufferable Aido?"

"What about him?" I could sense Kaname's playful smirk.

"He's rude and childish."

"And..." I wanted to wipe his smirk off his face.

"He spends too much time in our home."

"Do I sense jealousy?"

I snapped my head in his direction. Disbelief was written on my face. "You got to be kidding me?"

His dark eyebrow rose in question. "Well, he gets to spend more time with me."

"That's because you have me locked up like some animal," I retorted. Then I clamped a hand over my mouth, realizing my sudden mistake. My eyes widened when he shifted away from me.

As he turned his back to me, I reached out and grabbed the end of his shirt. My head lowered in shame. "I'm sorry, big brother."

He shook his head. "No, it's my fault-."

"You don't keep me here because you want to. You keep me because you have to. We don't know the Council's reactions if they find out about my existence."

"That's where you're wrong," Kaname said in a low tone that was almost impossible for me to hear.

"What?" I asked in astonishment.

"I want nothing more than to lock you away from the world," he said. Then he turned to face me. The intensity in his red eyes caused me to scramble back in my chair until it tipped over and fell on the floor. I squeaked, preparing to follow the chair when his arm shot out and curved around my waist. He hauled me into his hard chest.

"Yuki," he whispered my name. His hot breath blew against the shell of my ear. I shuddered before realizing our predicament. There was no way I could let him feed from me again. He would be taking too much blood. I began to push against his chest with my hands but my attempts was futile. He was too strong and he was caught in his bloodlust to realize what he was doing.

"Broth-Kaname, no!" I shouted as I struggled against him. "You can't!"

"Yuki," he said as though he was caressing my name before his wet lips touched the bare skin of my throat. I gasped as my whole body stiffened. One part of me wanted to give in, to let him take my blood. Another part wanted me to stop him. Unlike him, I didn't produce enough blood after each feeding and I didn't feed that night. If Kaname took too much blood, it could mean my death.

"Please, no!" I struggled harder until I felt one of his canine pierced my skin. My eyes shot open and my body stilled.

I felt my blood leaked from the wound he niched and then his tongue swirled around the cut. I tried my best not to move while he satisfied his craving. Fighting against him only invited his darker vampire side to indulge in his prey's fear. And I was his prey.

Yet if he took too much blood, which had happened before, he would severely punish himself. He would avoid me for many days and his rejection would pain me. It was his avoidance that made me realize how much he meant to me. He was literally my world.

His face stayed by my throat as he breathed in my scent and then he moved his face away until he was within my eye sight. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to."

His dark eyes looked away. He was drawing away from me as he straightened me up in his arms. His face was semi-turned when my hands fisted into his shirt. There was no way I was going to let him punish himself. I couldn't bear not seeing him for days. He was the only one who was allowed into my room. If I saw the others, Aido or Seiren, I had to be in his study. But then again came the common question from Aido. "Who is she when she's not a noble?"

And according to Kaname, Aido was observant. I couldn't be seen in close proximity with him, not when Kaname was working on the Cross Project. The Cross Project was an educational institution in which vampires and humans could attend. This helped vampires and humans to coexist on common ground. He needed the Council's approval. If the Cross Project was accepted, then I would be associated with other vampires. More so, I could interact with humans. It was our mother's dream for vampires and humans to coexist someday and the first step began with establishing a safe environment. However, this meant that Kaname had to correlate with Aido since Aido's father had high connections with people in the Council.

It also meant that Kaname had to leave home often. Sometimes he would be gone for a couple days. Other times he could be gone for as long as two months. During those times, I dreaded his departure. Although Seiren kept me company, the large house we lived in felt dead. I missed him so much that I couldn't concentrate on my studies.

"It's okay," I whispered back to him. "It's not your fault."

I must have said the wrong words because he pulled away, not heeding how I clutched on tightly to his black shirt. In the next moment, we collapsed on my bed in tangle of limbs. I was sprawled on top him while he laid back on the mattress. Both of us were heavily panting. One of my hands let go of his shirt to brush back his dishevel locks when I noticed his eyes didn't have the unnatural red gleam. I closed my eyes and touched my forehead to his hard chest.

"Bother," I said, hoping he could hear me. "I don't blame you for craving my blood. I crave for yours too -."

"But I'm a monster," Kaname interrupted me. "As much as I love you, I can't control myself when I'm around you. You're not safe."

I lifted my head while I let go his shirt with my other hand. Forcefully, I cupped his face with my hands, turning his face so I could look into his clouded eyes. There was so much regret and sadness that I felt a pain in my chest. I slightly shook my head, blocking the feeling.

"The last time I checked, I'm still alive." I gave him a shaky smile. "Besides, if you leave me alone for too long, I will rebel and go out to find you."

"We can't have a repeat of last time," he said quietly. I almost didn't hear him. His long fingers glided gently through my hair. I refrained from closing my eyes and immersing myself in such a simple pleasure. Instead, I focused on comforting him

"It won't happen again as long as you stay with me."

His eyes were clearing up. "What about those days when I have to attend a Council's meeting?"

"Then take me with you."

"I wish I can but they mustn't know about your existence."

I sighed. "I wish I can go outside with you and let people see us together."

His fingers glided from my hair to the back of my throat. His thumbs trailed small circles until goose bumps formed along my exposed skin. "We're both working hard to make that day happen. That's the Cross Project objective."

"I know but that stupid project makes me see less of you these days."

His pale lips tugged upward in a small half smile. "Again, it sounds like your jealous of Aido."

I frowned at him, momentarily forgetting the pleasurable sensation at the nape of my neck. "No, I think he has somewhat of a crush on you."

Kaname shook his head until dark hair fell into his eyes. I brushed the hair away. "You sourly mistaken. He has a list of fan girls he dates every week."

"Yet when you call for him, he drops everything, even them, to come to you."

"What can I say?" He smirked. "The last time I check, I'm royalty."

"Oh I forgot," I said. I pulled my upper body, removing his caressing hands at my neck until I straddled him. I waved my hand in the air to salute him. "All hail Lord Kuran."

"And my little Lady Kuran," he added. Both his large hands grasped the sides of my waist and he raised me with ease. He sat up on my bed and repositioned me to sit comfortably in his lap.

"Unfortunately, you and Seiren are the only ones who know who I am."

"And if I continue to have my way, I will keep everything as it is so I can have you all to myself."

I thumped a fist to his chest. "That's unfair!"

His eyes flashed red before turning back to normal. "I don't think so."

He hugged me as I huffed at him. "Seriously, you get to have all the fun and I have to study all the time."

He raised an eyebrow. "Not all the time."

I flushed and my eyelashes lowered. He chuckled. It vibrated from his body to mine. I smiled, feeling contented at the fact I was able to lighten his dark mood. I never completely understood what mother meant about Kaname having a darker side. To me, all vampires have a dark side. We were natural predators. However, I would keep our promise about staying at his side. I knew his secrets. I have seen how he looked at me compared to other people.

His eyes may have glinted red when they landed on me but I was the only who could satisfy his hunger. There was no room for anyone else.

Or so I thought...


	2. Pureblood's Blood

Blood engulfed my five senses.

Blood that was thick, ripe and warm.

I moaned, closing my eyes at such a pleasure, while Kaname's blood soothed the last of my hunger. Nothing could beat Kaname's blood. Not my love for wild adventures outside the Kuran estate or when he slept beside me in the early hours of dawn, or listening to him play the violin.

His blood was a pure and heavenly sin.

One taste of it and I was hooked on the drug.

Even after consuming his blood, I could still taste the sweet metallic liquid on my tongue.

But reality had a way of sneaking on our alone time together in his office. I could feel the chillness of the marble beneath my bare thighs or the moisture beneath my fingertips. And underneath it all, the bloodlust between us was heady.

I forced open my eyes, a peach wall peeked at me through ruffled mahogany hair. Right next to it was a grand window draped in velvety burgundy curtains tied with golden ropes. The eerie light from a full moon illuminated the items in Kaname's office.

I pulled back from the large body while dropping my hands on the cool surface of Kaname's desk. Swallowing heavily, I could still taste the richness of my brother's blood.

A thumb pressed lightly against my lips. The appendage slowly moved side to side, wiping away the excess blood from my lips. My eyes sharpened on the exotic red liquid on Kaname's thumb. He drew it away from me and put the rich content into his mouth. A moan escaped me.

Kaname, no, Lord Kaname was a large man, being over six two with pale skin and shiny mahogany hair. His eyes were richly red-brown which flashed unnervingly crimson when he desired blood, my blood. He was wearing another silky black buttoned up shirt and gray dress up slacks. His feet were bare against the dark rosy carpet that spread out through most of his office space. My lips turned upward in a small smile. My chocolate orbs gleamed in satisfaction as I took in his rare state of undress. Besides his feet being bare, four of his top buttons were undone creating a deep v-line. My mouth watered as a thin trail of dark red substance, darker than the carpet, went under the black silk. The rest of his shirt appeared rumpled as the fifth button was threatening to come out of the hole.

Pleasant goosebumps formed along my exposed skin. I inhaled another deep breath into my lungs. Then I bit my bottom lip. His eyes flashed scarlet, causing me to gasp. He stepped away from me, leaving me to sit on his desk. Instantly, I missed his warmth.

"Are you satisfied, little one?" His masculine voice penetrated the silence of his office. I closed my eyes and inhaled more deep breaths. I couldn't form words, not when I rarely get to drink blood directly from him. His blood wasn't only an intoxication. It was a reward for being a good girl. As long as I did my studies with my tutor and bodyguard Seiren and I stayed locked inside the Kuran estate, my brother let me drink his blood.

There was also the fact that only his blood satisfied my craving. Without it, I would have perished long ago. But we had to be wise on when I could feed and how much I was allowed to consume. My brother was royal, being a pureblood. Often he had many guests who visited the Kuran estate. Anyone who visited him couldn't scent his blood because anyone to spill his blood would suffer dire consequences. It was considered a grave offense to the Council and the Vampire Society. Only a chosen few could taste his blood.

Normally, I would have been included in that list, being his sister and a pureblood but the Council wasn't aware of my existence. I was considered a fable, lost in time since Uncle Rido attacked our home and murdered our parents.

Somehow, Kaname was able persuade the Council that he was the only pureblood left in the Kuran estate and as the heir, he would continue his duties as being one of the head leaders in the Vampire Society.

And he did it all to protect me.

Sometimes I had to wonder if I was all important as he claimed me to be.

His long and lean fingers pressed against my already flushed face. "Are you okay?" I could imagine his grin. He already knew my answer. How could I be okay after devouring his warm and exotic blood? "You don't have to answer that."

My eyes shot open. I made a small fist with my hand and thumped his deliciously broad chest. His chuckle rumbled throughout his frame and I found myself nervously rubbing my thighs together. His gaze swept down me, lingering on my breasts before sweeping down to my exposed thighs.

"You're tempting me, Yuki," he said. His voice turned deeper and somewhat husky.

Quickly, I followed his gaze and my jaw almost dropped. The loose skirt I wore bunched at my hips. The ends of my lacy magenta panty was visible to his hungry stare. I pushed the skirt down with shaky hands and bowed my head in mortification. The haziness from my bloodlust dispersed.

"Yuki," he said my name almost quietly. His thumb and forefinger moved underneath my chin and gently he tilted my head up.

I gulped before my eyes clashed with his dark ones.

"How many times must I say it? There's no need to be embarrass."

It was easier for him to say that because he had the confidence, regality and the superiority that he was raised with as a pureblood. I had to focus on my studies on school academics such as arithmetic, science, English, history, and foreign languages. Seiren also included Vampire Society etiquette as part of my education but she didn't allow me to demonstrate what I learned. She never explained why but I could only guess the reason had to do with me never being officially presented in the Vampire Society.

"You can say that with ease." I lowered my tone and I tried my best not to huff at him.

Again, he chuckled. When his laughter subsided, he leaned closer to my ear. With his other hand, he brushed aside mocha tresses behind the shell of my ear and he huskily whispered to me, "I like what I see."

My cheeks heated as a breath lurched in my throat.

He stepped back. A playful smile twisted on the corner of his pale lips.

I swatted at him but he deftly caught my wrist. His lively smile turned into a full blown grin. The corner of his red-brown orbs crinkled with warmth.

My heart fluttered in my chest.

I should be vexed at him for showing off his superior agility. Since I was either a Level C or Level D vampire my swiftness, physical strength and senses couldn't compare to his. He could easily make me his doll.

But seeing Kaname's mirth put me at ease. He didn't share it lightly with others. And the open display of emotions he shared with me was only for me.

Happiness swelled into my chest making breathing difficult. I placed my other hand over my heart.

His eyes flickered down to my breasts again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded my head.

His lips stretched furthered on his handsome face, revealing white teeth. "What happened? Cat got your tongue?"

I frowned at him.

He burst into a guffaw.

My eyes rounded as his merriment echoed throughout the office. Then I couldn't stop the goofy chortle that escaped me. He paused and I self-consciously covered my mouth with a free hand.

I realized he still had my other wrist shackled to him.

There was a sudden knock on the office door. My brother's demeanor changed like how snowflakes melted with the light from the sunrays. Placidly, his eyes shifted to the door, causing my happiness to die away. Instantly, I hopped down from his desk. My head reached his broad shoulders as I noticed that he slightly bent his body to make up for our differences in height when he put me to sit on his desk.

His facial features masked into one of indifference as Seiren's voice called through the door. "Lord Kaname."

"Yes," he answered calmly.

"May I?" She left the question open to whether if she could open the door.

He glanced at me as he freed my arm. Immediately, I used my hands to smooth out the creases of my clothing which consisted of a bright vermillion blouse, and a flowery pink skirt. My feet were bare like the pureblood. I tucked whatever stray strands that fell on my cheeks behind my ears. When I looked up at him, I saw him straightened his form but his red-brown orbs smoldered with an inner fire.

My throat became dry.

Then, he averted his attention to the door. "You may come in."

The door opened and I craned my neck to see Seiren's silhouette partially cast on the peach walls of Kaname's office. The light from one of the lamps filtered into the dark office.

"My apologies for disrupting you but there has been an emergency and Hanabusa is coming here to discuss the news with you." She bowed to us with a closed fist over her chest. Short silver strands gleamed in the moonlight.

"Did you suggest that I go to his estate?"

"I did but he insisted on coming here. The matter is private and needs your immediate attention." She still remained in her position.

Kaname's face hardened as his eyes turned to ice. "Thank you."

She took his words as dismissal. She rose from her bow and quietly shut the door with a click.

"Yuki, go to your room," he commanded with a cool authority. Instantly, he took on a cold persona with me, indicating it was not safe for me to be anywhere near him.

I swallowed saliva to moisten my throat before replying, "Yes."

Aido's arrival announcement was quite unexpected but then again the man had the ability to break the rules Kaname set out for him. His mansion was not too far from our home. I had to hastily get to my bedroom. If the noble scented Kaname's blood on me, hell was going to break loose. According to Aido, someone of my social status, a nobody, shouldn't be associating with royalty.

I turned to flee when I felt a sudden chill entered our home. How did the insufferable blond man get to our home quickly? By the immediate change in the atmosphere, I knew Aido was livid. I saw swirls of smoke danced from my parted lips. Frost was forming in the bottom corners of the walls in the office. I rubbed my arms to keep from being cold.

"Wait," Kaname's harsh voice reached my ears. His movements blurred. He put an open book in front of me while his desk had a similar book open to a certain page.

"Take it," he ordered.

Dumbly, I nodded my head and took the book from him.

"The Woman in White," were the only words he said and I knew what I had to do.

Hastily, he wiped the last remaining blood on his neck with a handkerchief that he usually kept in his back pocket. I had to struggle to keep my eyes on the words in the book. His blood was too tempting. My chocolate orbs flashed scarlet. Then he simply buttoned up and smoothened his shirt with large hands. A whimper almost left my parted lips.

Here I was, hungering over a man when someone was about to intrude on what was suppose to be our privacy.

He put away the handkerchief. "Read," he commanded.

I did as he instructed but my nose didn't miss the smell of blood as he cut himself with an envelope opener. He pulled the switch on the lamp to turn the light on. Immediately, the office door opened and a cold breeze swept through the room, drowning out my words. I turned to face Aido and my mouth opened as his normally royal blue eyes darkened to dark wine. I was frozen as his handsome face displayed with deadly rage. He was dressed as classy as always with a bellowing long trench coat covering up a black sweater, fitted brown pants and black polished shoes. Ice began seeping into the carpet, heading straight for me. I blinked my eyes, not knowing how to react to this side of Aido. He acted with hostility toward me but he usually kept his distance to refrain from incurring Kaname's fury.

Seiren crashed into me, causing us to fall on the carpeted ground. The book fell on the floor with a thud. I was breathing heavily as she helped me to stand up. My legs were shaking badly and she had to support most of my weight on the right side her body. Kaname watched everything with calculating eyes.

I looked on the ground before his desk and my eyes widened. There were large icicles of ice. Pointy enough to do some serious damage. Apparently, Aido was seething with ire that he was willing to injure me.

So if I wasn't a pureblood, would Seiren still have protected me?

"What makes you think you can barge into my office?" Kaname asked with a voice of steel.

Aido's eyes moved from mine to Kaname and his demeanor changed as fast as lightening. He paled when he felt Kaname's power. I visibly shuddered and held on tightly to Seiren.

"I-I sme-ll-ed blo-od," Aido spluttered out.

Kaname put his hands on the desk. He leaned forward, his eyes gleamed crimson and a vase holding exquisitely red roses by the door suddenly shattered into pieces. The roses were shredded apart. Some petals and roots fluttered to the carpet. On instinct, I moved from Seiren's side to silently pick up the rose petals. Seeing them stripped and scattered upset me. I knew how much Kaname loved roses and when he allowed me to go outside, I was able to pick a handful of roses in our special garden to decorate his office.

"Yuki." His voice softened on my name as though he was caressing it. I felt eyes landed on me and I halted in mid-bent form. "You don't have to do that."

He was letting me know my place in a kind way. I wasn't a servant. Instead, I was a tutor, his personal tutor. It was the role I played whenever Aido visited our home and he saw me with Kaname. As being a pureblood's tutor, I had certain privileges such as being in the same room with him alone.

"Aido," Kaname said harshly. The man turned to him and began quaking in his black polished shoes. For a second, I felt sorry for him. "The blood you smell is this." He showed his bleeding finger. "And," he continued, "I got my cut from an envelope slicer. Not Yuki."

"Oh," Aido almost whimpered. Now, I felt sorry for him. He scratched the back of his head as he knew he was going to be punished for his improper behavior.

"Plus, you should already know that Yuki Shiniba is a tutor who stays at my home for two reasons. One, she is my _personal_ tutor." He made sure to stress on personal. "Her intelligence cannot be compared to anyone else in the Vampire Society. She is my advisor and I place a great trust in her. And two, she is my ward. She is the last bloodline left in the Shiniba family. She is a prodigy and we get only one every four millenniums."

Aido's shoulders slumped further. He looked like he was sinking into the ground.

"Now, you know what to do."

"Wait!" I intervened. I straightened up and raised both hands into the air and waved them. "He doesn't owe me an apology."

I could feel the intense stares from Seiren and Kaname. A noble apologized to a pureblood but not to a tutor. They didn't see it that way.

"He does," Kaname said with finality.

My hands dropped to my sides. I lowered my head as Aido bent before me. Once he was on his knees, he made sure his pale forehead touched the soft ground where the ice melted, leaving trails of dampness. His hands splayed out before him. "I'm very sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. I shouldn't make assumptions."

"You are forgiven."

He stiffly raised his body so he was in a kneeling position. "Thank you."

I nodded my head.

He turned around in his seated position as he waited for Kaname to tell him the rest of his punishment. But one look from me had Kaname change his mind. "Another time."

Aido rigidly rose on his feet and awkwardly bowed before the pureblood vampire prince. "Pardon me for my intrusion but I have some urgent news that couldn't wait."

Kaname raised one hand into the air as an indication to dismiss Seiren and me. I was used to these type of meetings from my brother. Aido took his role of being one of Kaname's right hand man too seriously. Whatever news he discovered, he made sure Kaname was instantly notified.

Seiren grabbed the book on the floor. Some of the pages got wet from when the ice melted and my eyes narrowed on the blond man. Seriously, Aido was a walking disaster. Because of him, the roses were shredded and my favorite Victorian literature novel was ruined. I was finding more reasons not to like Aido.

The bodyguard placed the book on the desk and for a second I felt the atmosphere in my brother's office getting heavier. I noticed Kaname's red-brown eyes zoomed in on the book. His eyes were turning into a rosy color and a shiver of apprehension went down my spine. I felt the hair at the nape of my neck raised. Before I knew what I was doing, I stepped in front of Aido. My hand darted to the book.

"It's all right. I can purchase another copy online, Lord Kuran," I said, trying to calm him down. "Besides, I can download a free version of the book on Amazon or B&N. It's a classic."

"Yuki," my brother's voice turned deeper. He had that tone where words were hard enough to slice through air.

I dropped my hand to my thigh and I lowered my head until the mocha tresses partially shielded my face. "Please, Lord Kuran."

I didn't want to start a scene in front of Aido but I knew how merciless the pureblood vampire prince could be when anyone messed with me or anything I cherished.

Silence deafened the room and little by little, I felt his power withdraw into his elegant form. I held a breath until I heard his sigh.

My shoulders dropped in relief as my pink lips curved upward. I tilted back my head so only he could see my gratitude before turning to leave the room.

Seiren had already exited the office and the door was ajar. She must have been waiting for me on other side of the threshold. But then a strong gust of wind passed by my body and the heavily woodened door slammed shut. The sound alarmed me as I peered over my shoulder to look at my brother with wide eyes.

"Stay," he commanded me.

I wanted to retort about whether I had a choice.

Aido began spluttering while frantically waving his hands in the air.

Kaname's eyes hardened on him, causing him to still.

"She is my advisor; therefore, she has a right to hear what unfortunate news you bring to me."

I turned around to face both men as Aido spouted out useless apologies.

"Silence," Kaname ordered to him. The noble zipped his mouth and stood stiffly. When the pureblood vampire prince deemed it okay for the blond man to speak he raised his hand. Automatically, the air in the office turned grim.

"The head Council refuses to allow the construction of Cross Project to continue. The rest of the members are in agreement. They see there is nothing to gain from a Pacifist movement. As it is, humans and vampires hate each other. The feud has been raging for centuries and there is no way that this school can unite two different species."

The pureblood's dark eyes sharpened on Aido. "Are you sure there is no other way for the Cross Project to continue? Surely Uncle Rido, the king of vampires, has allowed room for negotiation."

Aido winced. "He has in a form of a contract."

"Really?"

Aido nodded his head.

"And do you have a copy of this contract?"

Again, Aido nodded his head. A hand dipped into his trench coat where he retrieved an item. A finger touched a button and the screen lit up. Hastily with his pointer finger, he tapped a bunch of icons on the object before an image popped up on the screen. I watched with interest as Kaname took the object from Aido's hand.

Red-brown orbs scanned the image and his eyes narrowed. Then he raised his head and handed me the device. There was a flash of warning in his eyes.

I took the item and instantly, I admired what humans were able to create with their intelligence. Due to the advancement of computers from the late 1930s until the modern day, I found it fascinating how computers evolved throughout time. Like the cell phone I was holding in my hand was an iPhone-with a combination of web browser, music player and cell phone- which could download new functionality in forms of "apps" or applications from the Apple store. The touch screen enabled the smartphone to have a built-in GPS navigation, high definition camera, texting, calendar, voice dictation and weather. I begged my brother on numerous occasions to get a smartphone but he turned me down. He lectured me about the device becoming a distraction for my studies.

My chocolate eyes noted the image of a paper with typed words. Unlike my brother's special eyes, I had to zoom in the picture to be able to see the words. I could feel Aido's displeasure radiating from next me. He might freeze his iPhone the moment I returned it to him.

Momentarily, I forgot him as I became absorbed in the contents of the contract and my dark eyes widened a fraction. My mouth opened as I exhaled a breath. I tried my best to refrain from shaking the smartphone. My eyes stung as I tried to compose myself in front of the two men.

Honestly, I didn't know that Kaname had many duties as being the heir of the Kuran family. The amount of sacrifices he made just so he could finish build Cross Academy was unbelievable. I thought purebloods were immune to the cruelties of the Vampire Society. I was wrong.

Although I was sheltered, I was greatly taught academics and the ways of life in both the Human and Vampire Society by the wonderful Seiren, nothing could prepare me for the demand the contract held.

I was losing my brother to someone else.

I gulped before I spoke in a soft voice. "According to the contract, Lord Kuran," I paused before inhaling air, "To continue the construction of Cross Academy, you must take the next step as the heir of the Kuran family. You must continue the Kuran line by getting married."

My voice cracked as I shoved the phone to Aido. He grunted as he took the device from me. A disgusted look painted across his face before fading into a placid one.

The blond man faced Kaname. Again, silence filtered the room. My hands clenched into fists at my sides. I turned my head away from Kaname. I could feel his intense stare on me as he was about to ask me the forbidden question.

"Yuki," he whispered my name. Why did my heart stir when he called my name? "What do you think?"

I took in a shuddering breath before slowly exhaling. My tongue darted out of my mouth to moisten my dried lips. "Since the beginning, there was a raging war between vampires and humans. Purebloods, the most powerful ones, were deemed as threats but there were few of them and they couldn't destroy the vast number of humans that were after them. Purebloods then interbred with some humans creating Level B and Level C vampires. These vampires turned over the war until humans were close to extinction."

Aido's blond eyebrows tugged together. "Why are you retelling something we already know?"

"Aido, quiet." He didn't have to be told twice by my brother.

I continued. "Desperate humans joined forces with a couple of purebloods and used their flesh, organs and powerful blood to create a prevailing force known as the vampire hunters. These vampire hunters hunted vampires, changing the stakes for human survival. Humans were living but the killing became a stalemate on both sides. Vampire hunters, nobles and pureblood vampires got together to find ways to make peace."

Aido's eyes widened as his eyebrows rose. My explanation dawned on him. I was reminding Kaname his place as a pureblood vampire prince. His duty was to try to keep the peace he and the other Council members have established for the Vampire Society.

It would be at the cost of my happiness.

In order for Cross Project to be successful, Kaname had to marry someone else.

"Cross Academy will set an example that vampires and humans can coexist. And since there are few purebloods left, you must continue the family line; therefore, it will be a wise decision to look into marrying the pureblood Sara Shirabuki."

I noticed how Kaname's pale lips pursed into a straight line. Aido switched glances between us.

I couldn't take it anymore. The news of Kaname marrying someone else was too much pain for me to bear. My heart swelled inside my chest. "Excuse me, please." I put a closed fist to my chest and bowed to the powerful pureblood. It was considered disrespectful for me to leave the room without his permission but since I was his sister, I was hoping he would let me off the hook.

I took a step toward the door.

"Are you dismissed, Yuki?"

I froze. I shut my eyes as a stray tear fell down my cheek. How much more was he going to hurt me?

"My apologies."

"Aren't you going to turn around and present yourself to Lord Kaname, servant?" Only nobles could call a pureblood by their title followed by their first name.

"Aido," the pureblood warned him.

My shoulders rolled back and my spine straightened to a rod as I slowly faced my brother. I directly met his unusually red-brown eyes. It didn't matter whether he saw the tear streak. He was the only one who knew my true emotions.

We stared at each for a few seconds but those few seconds felt like an eternity. Aido was flabbergasted as he exchanged looks with us. Then, I heard the words that shattered my heart to pieces. "Aido, inform the Council I will abide by their wishes. I will marry Sara Shirabuki."

"Yes, sir."

"You may go." Aido took his leave but his royal blue eyes flashed at me with uncertainty. He didn't like the idea of leaving Kaname alone with me. If he only knew my true identity. He would probably shit his pants.

Slight amusement from the mental image caused my lips to quirk in a small smile before it vanished.

"Yuki," Kaname's deep tone tickled along my flesh.

I tried my best not to look at him but as always when he came near me, my body had a will of its own. I melted into his embrace as his hot breath fanned against my throat.

"Yuki," he whispered. I knew what he wanted. His eyes were rosy; his breathing was harsh. He was hungry and only my blood could satisfy him.

But how long would I be able to satisfy him? Once he was married to the pureblood Sara Shirabuki, there was a good chance that my blood wouldn't hold a candle to the flame of her blood.

oOo

The moment I left my brother's office, I winced at how much blood he took from me. I lifted the collars of my blouse to hide the bite marks on my neck. Sometimes, I wondered why he didn't heal the marks when it would take little effort on his part to conceal the bites. We had an extreme close encounter with Aido. If Aido had arrived earlier in Kaname's office, he would have caught me feeding from my brother and then the news would have travel to the Council. And our covers would have been blown big time. Rido Kuran was the King of Vampires. He was the big boog who called all the shots. The other members -purebloods, nobles, and vampire hunters- voted on his decisions, which he got away with all the time. As it was, Uncle Rido controlled most of their minds. Kaname was one of the few vampires who wasn't mentally controlled by Uncle Rido. I didn't know who were the other members who were freed from Uncle Rido's mind control but my brother mentioned a Vampire Hunter by the name of Kaien Cross was one of them. He was working with the vampire hunter to establish Cross Academy.

I passed through many extravagant rooms of the Kuran mansion until I reached the staircase that would take me to the second floor. Originally, our home was styled after one of the Victorian houses. The middle of the house contained a grand staircase by the main doors. A huge crystal chandelier hovered the staircase, illuminating the rich architecture on the wooden panels. The main living room, dining room, Kaname's office, and the kitchen were on the main floor. Later on, the Kurans added rooms to extend more bedrooms on the second floor. Our home was one of the oldest in the Vampire Society and it was sought after by many nobles. Fortunately, Uncle Rido didn't take interest in our home. He detested being in the house where our mother and father -Juri and Haruka- lived together.

My hand reached the wooden banister of the stairwell when I felt Aido's presence behind me. Instantly, I twirled to face him. My eyes rounded at the sight of him being on the Kuran estate. What was he still doing here?

He put a large hand over my hand. His royal blue eyes chilled to ice as they narrowed on me. "Why are you going up these stairs?"

I didn't answer his question as I blinked at him.

"Don't you go up the servant's staircase in the back of the house?" He added more pressure on my fingers causing me to grimace. "Or you think you're someone important to be staying in one of the Kuran's rooms?"

"It's not like that," I finally answered him.

His face was expressionless, his eyes slightly narrowed. He obviously suspected I knew more than I was saying. "Then what do you mean?"

"I'm Lord Kuran's ward. As such, I am staying in one of the rooms upstairs."

He grunted. "There's something more going on here. For one, a lowly person like you smell like Lord Kaname. And two, you're too close to him. More close than my liking."

He pressed down harder on my fingers.

"Stop," I gasped out in slight pain.

"Or what?" he taunted.

"You might destroy another one of Lord Kuran's property," I quickly answered him. Kaname was going to be angry if anything in the house was damaged. Most of all, he would freeze hell if Aido hurt me.

"You mean you will be the one responsible."

When I didn't answer him right away, he crushed my hand to point I felt my knuckles cracked. Suddenly ice began forming on my wrist and it was slowly making its way up my arm.

I flinched as the bitter coldness encased my arm. My knees began to tremble.

"You will be responsible."

"I can't," I gasped. Before I knew what was happening, he flung me to the floor. I couldn't hold back the scream that left me as I crashed onto the shiny wooden floor. My long mocha hair fell in a rumpled mess in front of my face. With my other hand, I covered my mouth to stifle anymore noises. No matter how much Aido hated me, I didn't want to risk him at my brother's wrath. Kaname was unforgiving to those who touched what was his.

"What?" He loomed over me.

I scooted backward, feeling fear overtake me. My heart pounded loudly in my chest.

"What you said?"

My eyes darted on either side of me. I cringed when he moved closer to me.

I closed my eyes and lifted the hand covered in ice. He froze. The evidence of him hurting me was left behind. Kaname would know who did the damage to the banister.

"You're really too much of a smart Alek. Someone has to teach you your place. I can't understand why a pureblood prince needs the likes of you." His voice darkened. "And what is that on your throat?"

My eyes snapped open as I remembered Kaname's bite marks. My hand shot to the side of my neck to cover my brother's bite marks. His hand reached closer to me and I tried my best to scoot further away from him but my back hit a wall.

"No!" I squeaked.

His fingers covered mine and he roughly pulled each finger back.

"Enough!" another voice barked at him. Aido halted, tilting his head back to look at the owner of the voice.

"Seiren," he said.

A heavy breath escaped my parted lips.

"What the hell are you doing to Lady Shiniba?"

"I'm just investigating what's on her neck."

The bodyguard glared at him. "Are you asking to be severely punished by Lord Kaname?"

The noble removed his hand from me and backed away. He shook his head as he raised his hands in surrender.

"I should report all of this to Lord Kaname," she muttered. She approached my side and helped me to stand up. Immediately, her pale eyes landed on my injured hand. Her jaw tightened as she gritted her teeth.

"Please don't. I'm on my way out."

"You should have left a long time ago, Hanabusa. Lord Kaname gave you a task to do."

"Yes," Aido assured her. He retreated until he was almost at the front door.

"Just to let you know, he won't let you off the hook for hurting a dear guest."

Aido's eyes widened. He paled at the thought of being punished by the pureblood. "But she's of no importance."

Seiren smiled nastily at him. "You're one of those stubborn ones who have to learn the hard way."

She turned so that her back faced him. She pulled me to the staircase and I could feel the hostility of his stare following me up the stairs. Once we reached the second floor, I found myself breathing easier. "My apologies for not being able to make it to you in time."

Seiren returned to her serious self and if I guessed how she might be reacting on the inside, she felt guilty for letting me get hurt. She led me all the way down the hall to Kaname's room. I stopped in front of it and shook my head at her when she noticed I wasn't budging from my spot.

"No, not here," I commanded like a true pureblood. I didn't want to enter Kaname's room with my injured hand. He would be able to scent my blood. The last thing I wanted to do was provoke the darker side of him.

"But my lady," Seiren was about to protest.

"No," I said firmly. "Take me somewhere else to heal me."

Seiren meekly nodded her head and I instantly regretted snapping at her. "I'm sorry, Seiren. I just don't want my brother to find out what happened, please."

She raised her head so that her eyes that reminded me the color of ocean was visible. "If he asks me to report to him, I will have to tell him everything."

"I understand." I hoped that he wouldn't question her.

"Once again, I'm sorry," she said as she bowed to me in respect. "I'm suppose to protect you in your Lord Kaname's absence."

I slightly shook my head. "It's okay. I'm at fault for provoking him. I should know better. Aido is an observant person like the rest of his family members."

"I should be punished," Seiren insisted.

"No. Besides, you have many duties. You can't always be there to shield me from the world."

She raised herself stiffly. Only the slight widening in her eyes was the emotion that made me continue. "Plus, your duty is first and far most to my brother. I'm merely second to him."

"My lady-." She was going to say something to make feel better but I had long ago accepted my position in the Kuran family. In blood, I was a Kuran princess. But I was the last child, making my preferences last place. And no one but my brother and Seiren were the only two people who knew I lived. Uncle Rido had an idea about my existence and for some bizarre reason he never pursued proving I existed.

"It's all right. I accepted my position. As of right now I am Yuki Shiniba, a ward and personal tutor to Kaname Kuran. For now, you must treat me like I'm Lord Kuran's tutor and not his sister. Can you do that?" I gave the silver haired woman my stern expression as I waited for her reply.

She bowed before me.

"Seiren," I said with irritation lacing my voice.

She stood rigidly before me. At height level, she was a couple of inches taller than me. "Yes, Lady Shiniba."

I smiled approvingly at her before I glanced down at my injured hand. Seiren's eyes almost popped out as she noticed my hand looked normal. The frost covering my hand melted. The bone fractures I received from Aido's manhandling popped back into place. The skin healed. Only some traces of my blood remained on my palm. Kaname's blood was very powerful. Apparently, the amount of his blood that was left in my body healed my injury; which meant that his bite marks healed on my neck too.

"I guess I can return in my room and continue with my studies." I left behind the bodyguard as I made my way into Kaname's bedroom. My room was just beyond his bedroom and the only way to get to it was walking through his room. But I wasn't going to study like I said. I had a bleak matter to ponder; Kaname's engagement to another woman.

I pressed a hand over my left breast as I felt my heart breaking.

And most of all, there was nothing I could do about the feeling.


	3. Rewind Down Memory Lane

My brother wasn't always at home. He had to make excuses to come and see me. It was rough for him because I was alone most of the time and I was unprotected. He used the room just beyond his one as my bedroom and turned it into a safety room. He kept supplies that we would need if intruders came into the house.

Honestly, I didn't know how I survived being alone. I just remembered being locked in a bedroom full of darkness, starving and feeling weakened, just hoping that my brother would come to see me. He showed me how to eat food and left packets of his blood in a small refrigerator for me to drink when I craved his blood.

But most of the time, I didn't understand the directions he left for me.

And so I laid in bed, weakly waiting for his next appearance.

He came to see me sporadically.

Sometimes I wondered if he forgot me or if something bad happened to him.

He was the only person I had in my world.

I heard the bolts unlatched and a metal door swung open. Two forms stood at the threshold and I raised my coverlet to hide myself.

"Yuki," a familiar and entrancing voice called to me. I would know that voice anywhere.

"Brother," I called to him with my small voice. "Is that really you?" I let the covers fall from my hands as I scrutinized one of the forms that came closer to me. Instantly, I recognized the mahogany hair that filled my vision. There was a dip on my bed as long arms wrapped around my body. The scent of lavender and roses filled my nose.

"I'm so sorry, Yuki," he apologized to me while he began to rock me back and forth. "I didn't mean to take a long time. Things are getting complicated and I might not be able to visit you as often as I will like."

"What?" I didn't understand everything he was telling me but I understood from his tone that everything was not okay.

He loosened me from his embrace until I looked up at him. There was a hint of a seriousness on his face. "Let me take care of you first and then I will explain everything."

His eyes flickered to the side. "Takuma, do you mind waiting outside?"

I blinked, realizing I forgot the other person who came with my big brother. Instantly, I shied away from the stranger by hiding my face against my brother's chest.

When the stranger's footsteps retreated from my bedroom, I peered up at the pureblood behind a mass of unkempt mocha hair. Gently, he shoved the hair away from my face. "Big brother?" I questioned him.

He told me he needed to keep me safe because there were dangerous people after me. But if he had company, did that mean I could finally be with him while around other people?

"You haven't fed for a while," he said. He raised his arm to his chin as his fangs protruded from his mouth. He bit non-gently into his wrist and I watched with keenness as his delicious blood began to spill from his wound. "Drink little one," he crooned to me. He ushered his bleeding wrist to my open mouth. Already, I could feel how parched my throat was. Since my fangs weren't fully developed, I depended on my brother to bite down on his wrist and provide me with his fresh blood. His blood had enough nutrition to sustain me more than me feeding off his energy.

When I finished drinking his blood, his wound naturally healed. He rose from the bed while picking me up. He walked into the bathroom next to my bedroom and flipped the light switch. The lights turned on and I closed my eyes from the harsh light. Kaname spent the remaining time setting the bath water and getting my towel and clothes. He left me alone in the bathroom to take care of myself while he quietly shut the door.

It took me awhile to remove my clothes and to soak in a bathtub with hot soapy water. Only when my skin was wrinkled like a prune, I got out of the bathtub; towel dried myself and put on my clothes.

I let myself out of the bathroom to pause mid-step in the bedroom. Kaname stood in front my desk with a blond haired stranger. They were both looking expectantly at me when I suddenly dropped the wet towel from my hands to the floor and dashed to my brother, hiding my face.

The pureblood's arms entwined around my small body. I could hear his soothing tone. "It's okay, Yuki. I brought my friend here so you can make a new friend."

I tilted my little head back and glanced at my brother. I blinked owlishly at him.

"He won't hurt you. I promise."

Shyly, I turned my head to peek at the other person. Friendly green eyes from an unusually good-looking face peeked back at me. Instantly, I buried my face against my brother's stomach.

"Yuki," my brother admonished me.

To not disappoint him any further, I stepped back and bowed to the other person as my brother taught me. "Hi. I'm Yuki." I rose up and kept my head slightly down as I was still shy to meet the boy's gaze.

"It's nice to meet you, Yuki. I'm Takuma Ichijo, a friend of your brother." He bowed to me in return.

A small smile lightened on my features. The pureblood stooped beside me and gestured to his friend. "Yuki." My eyes darted to my brother before looking back at the blond. "If I can't see you, Takuma will come and see you."

Instantly, I didn't like the idea of not seeing Kaname. "No! Why can't I see you?" I turned to my brother and furiously shook my head.

He put strong hands on my shoulders to keep me still. When he had my full attention, he gave me a sad look. "Little one, you know more than anything in the world I want to see you." His kind words made me smile. "But, remember all the responsibilities I talked about having?" My face deflated as I nodded my head. He was always busy with school lessons. "There are times I won't be able to see you. That's where Takuma will come in. He will check on you when I can't."

I didn't like the idea of being around someone else who wasn't my brother.

He saw the instant begrudge on my face but he didn't point it out. Instead, he patted me on the head and led me back to bed. I noted he changed my bedsheets, the coverlets and the pillowcases to violet. Once he tucked me in, he and the other person set out to leave my bedroom.

My hand reached out and I tugged on the end of my brother's turquoise shirt. He semi-turned to me. His red-brown eyes pinned me on the spot. "Yuki," he said my name in warning.

"Do you have to go?" I asked him innocently.

Our parting was always the same way. I refused to let him leave me alone unless I fell asleep.

"Takuma, go on ahead. I will stay here with my sister." His announcement made me beam. I felt like I won a prize for getting his attention. Forget his friend.

Takuma nodded his head and quietly exited my bedroom. The metal doorframe still remained open but I didn't mind if the blond boy heard my brother and me.

"Yuki," the pureblood said. He slightly shook his head as he went down to his knees at the side of my bed. "What will I do with you? I already can't say no to you."

My beam turned into a full grin. His visits meant so much to me. He was my world so I took advantage of our little moments together.

Like he said, what if the next time he couldn't see me?

I tried my best to stay up for the rest of the night, to cherish my time with him, but when the early hours of the morning hit, I fell asleep.

oOo

It was just as Kaname predicted. There were times he couldn't visit me so Takuma was the one who came over to check on me. I was slow and very shy to respond to him but little by little I got use to him. He was friendly and overly polite. He began calling me Lady Yuki instead of my regular name. I called him on it and he responded that I was Lord Kaname's sister, which meant I was much a pureblood like my older brother. The only factor was I didn't possess powers like my brother.

The aristocrat couldn't explain why but I knew the reason and I kept it a secret. My older brother admonished me that purebloods kept a lot of secrets about their true natures. Vampires of lesser blood didn't have much knowledge about purebloods except their blood haven't been contaminated by human blood. Those who had knowledge about purebloods would use it to their advantage. Kaname didn't go more in depth with information.

However, Kaname trusted Takuma with the secret of my existence. That said a lot.

Takuma was another person I could trust. If anything happened to my brother, I wasn't completely alone.

He became a good friend.

He kept coming to visit in Kaname's stead until I was eight years.

However, not everything lasts forever. At that tender age of eight, he stopped coming and I felt the heartbreak of losing a friend.

oOo

By eight years old, I was becoming braver. With Takuma's help, I began exploring different parts of the Kuran mansion. I learned which room mama and papa slept in. Some of their clothes, shoes and items were untouched. I remembered sifting through mama's clothes, trying them on along with her jewelry in front of large mirror before their grand bed.

I don one of mama's short white dresses with long strands of pearl necklaces. A lady's hat was on my head as I made different poses in front of the mirror. My laughter echoed in my parents' bedroom and perhaps in the hallway but I didn't have to worry about the noise because I was alone.

I was going to put on one of her high-heeled shoes when I felt a tremor in the house. There was a sound of a door slamming and a rush of footsteps up the stairs. I threw mama's hat of my head and quietly crept to the edge of their bedroom. The footsteps moved to my brother's room.

Wondering if Takuma was visiting me, I left the sanctuary of my parents' bedroom to freeze. There was the stench of blood in the air; lots of it.

"Yuki!" a voice began calling me in a panic. I recognized my brother's voice.

I would have run to him but the smell of blood made me hesitate.

Did he have a bad injury?

"Yuki!"

"I'm here," I answered him from the hallway. He had super sensitive hearing.

Heavy footsteps rushed to the doorframe of his bedroom. He stopped to look at me. My eyes widened as I saw a large amount of blood staining his white-buttoned shirt and cream slacks. Without thinking, I sprinted to him.

"What happened? Are you okay, brother?" I asked him. Instantly, he hugged me, not caring if the blood got all over me. I clutched on to him for dear life.

"Yuki, how did you get out…" Takuma had showed me a trick to open the metal door that separated my bedroom from my brother's room but I didn't want Takuma to be in trouble. "Never mind," Kaname said sounding flustered. He let go of me and grabbed my wrist as he began pulling me down the stairs.

What I saw made me gape. At the front door was an unconscious female lying on the wooden floor but there was a lot of blood pooling around her frame. The blood on Kaname smelled like the blood on the injured female. I was about to walk closer to further examine her but my brother kept his grip on my wrist.

"Yuki, no."

"But, she's hurt," I said with concern.

"I will deal with her."

I tugged at my hand.

"No, Yuki. Stay here," he commanded me. He released a tendril of his pureblood power to wrap around me. From the time we spend together, I never felt his power like what he was exhibiting now. "You will stay here while I see how badly hurt she is."

I squirmed under the pressure of his power. He willed me to stay in place as he let go of my wrist and made his way to the hurt female.

He bent down and turned her around. I noticed her pale hair was crusted with blood. He brushed aside the strands to reveal her pretty features. In sleep, her eyebrows were beautifully curved over closed eyelids. The girl's eyelashes were as pale as the moonlight. Parts of her face that wasn't marred in blood appeared to be chalky white. Her nose was small and curvy, her lips were blue.

A cold draft blew into the room causing me to shiver. I couldn't rub my arms together due to Kaname's power keeping me in place but he had sharp eyes to notice my reaction. He kicked the door shut with his foot, darkening the place. He snapped his fingers together and the front lights came on.

"She will need blood," he said quietly as he finished inspected her.

"How is she hurt?" I asked. My brother bit into wrist using his sharp incisors. Then he put his bleeding wrist to the girl's mouth.

Again, he used his pureblood power into the next word. "Drink." The incisor receded into his gums as he looked at the female with determination.

Automatically, the girl's lips parted and something unnerving went through me at the sight. His powerful blood leaked into the girl's mouth. She coughed a bit before coming to life. The adam's apple at her throat began to move as she drank the precious blood he offered freely.

I couldn't watch the scene anymore. I turned my head away.

My brother once told me that a feeding between two vampires happened when two vampires cared for each other. Yet he didn't know the girl and he was sharing his blood with her.

The girl took enough of his blood and his wound healed. He picked up her bridal style before traveling upstairs. I stayed where I was as I waited for him to return to me. Even when the tendrils of his power faded, I remained where I was. It wasn't until dawn that my brother came for me with relief shining in his red-brown eyes.

It was the first time I recalled the feeling of jealousy.

oOo

"You are to take care of her in my absence. Do you understand?" Those were the words I heard from a cracked open doorway before my brother called me into his office. "Yuki."

Instantly, I slipped through the crack and skipped into the room with a big grin on my face. I loved when my brother acknowledged me.

Then I saw a girl sitting on one of the chairs beside his desk and my face turned sour. I decided then I didn't like her. She was ethereal as she sat with her legs crossed at her ankles and her hands placed primly on her lap. Her short silver hair was clean from blood. She wore a fitted dark brown blouse with black pants –clothes that I had never seen.

"Yuki," my brother grabbed my attention. "This is Seiren. She will be staying with us for a long time."

I frowned. Why did she have to stay with us in the first place?

My brother must have read my expression. His lips twisted upward. "She will be looking after you in my place."

"Why? Takuma can look after me."

The smile left his face as he slightly shook his head. "I'm afraid he can't visit you anymore."

"Why?" I whined. I really liked Takuma.

Kaname slowly moved around his desk and made his way to me. He stooped before me until we were eye-level. "Do you remember how I told you I have a lot of responsibilities?"

I nodded my head.

"Well, Takuma has a lot of family responsibilities that will keep him super busy. He won't be able to see you. Besides I need someone who can constantly take care of you. I don't like the idea of you wandering around this house by yourself. There are a lot of dangerous places in this house, which is why I tell you to stay upstairs."

I knew my brother didn't want me to go in the basement. I could still remember our mother's death and the monster with glowing scarlet eyes.

"When I'm away will you be a good girl?" he asked me. It was hard for me to say no when he asked me to behave. I didn't want to disappoint him.

I nodded my head.

"Good," he murmured and then he was patting my head. "I expect to hear good news from Seiren about your wonderful behavior on my next visit."

My shoulders slumped at hearing his stay at home was already over.

His dark eyes shifted to her. Fluidly, she rose to her feet and fluidly stood next to me.

I stepped away from her but feeling the pureblood's gaze on me made me halt.

"Yuki," he admonished. "I mean it, behave."

The stern look on his face had me squirming. I turned toward the pretty girl and bowed before her. "Please take care of me," I said politely.

His face relaxed at my words.

She smiled beautifully at me before bowing in return. "Yes, I will."

From that day onward, she became my personal tutor.

oOo

I was twelve years old when Kaname first brought friends over for the day at the Kuran mansion. By then a teenage Seiren was already seriously teaching me math, French, English, history, social studies, art, and science. I was in the midst of reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet when a high pitch instrumental sound made its way upstairs in the study room. Momentarily, Seiren left the room to do some important business for my brother. Fascinated and curious by such a beautiful melody, I snuck downstairs and quietly made my way into the living room. The double antique doors were barely closed as the doors separated the living room from the hallway. A small light emitted into the hallway as the musical instrument sounded louder, clearer and more stunning than ever. Slowly, I peered in between the two doors to see my brother standing elegantly and confidently as he played the violin with ease. He shifted from high to low notes with deftness that had my heart soaring. Three blonds sitting on the couch watched with fervor as he played for them. Two of them were boys, who I later learned was Hanabusa Aido and Akatsuki Kain. The other one was a girl named Ruka Souen. All three of them were aristocrats. And they were lucky to get to hear my brother perform for them whereas I didn't know he could even play the violin.

Instantly, I fell in love with the instrument.

But I realized I knew so little about my brother.

When he finished he received a round of enthusiastic applause from everyone. For me, the melody of the violin still echoed in the hallway. The young teenagers got up from their seats and were planning what to do next. I took it as my cue to sneak back into my room when Kaname's eyes subtly shifted to me. His red-brown orbs pinned me to the spot as a breath caught in my throat.

His handsome face remained expressionless as his cool eyes gave nothing away.

I tensed, somehow knowing I was in big trouble. Nonetheless, I began backing up, step-by-step. I made sure to evade the areas of the hallway that tended to creak under the pressure of my weight.

Aido, the ever-observant one, noticed my brother's eyes were on the doors. He craned his neck to look in my direction. By then, my figure was engulfed in the shadows. He strained his eyes to peer into the darkness. If he had my brother's eyes, he would have easily detected me but he was not a pureblood.

Kaname shifted his attention back to the three occupants in the living room. Carefully, he put away the violin in its case. "Lets have some tea," he suggested to the others.

Aido, who wasn't simply distracted by the offer, continued to look into the hallway. But he was too late. I was already on the stairs. Using the ninja stealth that Seiren taught me, I crept back upstairs into the study room and continued to read Romeo and Juliet. By the time Seiren walked into the study room, I acted as if nothing happened.

oOo

As a child, I had moments where I couldn't behave like a good little girl and it was due to Kaname being away. He stayed at other mansions under the care of other noble families while I was under the careful eye of Seiren.

I didn't trust anyone else but my brother and I felt like he cared for no one else but me.

It was a rough time for the both of us.

He was undergoing lessons that would make him into a royal pureblood prince of the Kuran family.

I was being tutored in academic lessons so that someday I would become a prodigy genius.

But we were doing everything with a purpose in mind; revenge.

Purebloods never left matters unfinished. What Uncle Rido did to our parents was a personal matter and we swore we wouldn't let him get away for murder. Kaname and I were waiting for the right time to strike.

For now, we made him believe we were at his mercy as he ruled the Vampire Society and the Council as the King of Vampires.

And our roles were a constant reminder of the score we had to settle. So although I wasn't a good girl all the time, I tried my best to be good for my brother's sake.

oOo

I was fourteen years when the most amazing and worst thing happened. I won Kaname in a game of chess. The flash of shock that filtered his face caused me to burst in laughter. My shoulders shook as I doubled over. I could barely breathe properly from the comical expression on his handsome face. It was one of those rare moments; he appeared unguarded in front of me.

Then his pale lips quirked into a half-smile, absolutely taking my breath away.

I fathomed my reaction to his simple little gestures like his mood changes. It definitely wasn't normal for siblings to act the way we did.

Sometimes I wondered if our blood caused us to act more affectionate.

Shaking my head, I looked at him. "Why do you easily sacrifice your pawns?" From the games we played, I examined how he gave away certain chess pieces on the board such as the pawns. He would lure his opponents into the traps by using the pawns to sidetrack the player into obtaining the higher rank pieces.

"Besides the pawns having less moving ability on the board, they are the pieces to be overlooked," my brother answered simply. He sat across the table from me like a true pureblood. He sat upright, with his back touching the cushion of the seat. His arms lay on the each armrest while his legs were crossed over at the knee. His red-browns eyes never strayed from me.

And yet, he was like a sleeping tiger, dangerous and deadly. He could strike at anyone who entered the room with lightening reflexes and I wouldn't be able to follow his movements.

But despite knowing how lethal he could be, that didn't discourage me from lowering my guard when he was around. The safest place was always by his side. I trusted Kaname with my life.

"You bring up quite an interesting point," I added. "I noted in your former games, you are quick to give away pawns except for the one in front of the king. Why?"

"That, my little one, is a secret."

I pouted at him. "Seriously? You're not going to tell me." I was jesting him. I didn't think he would take me on seriously.

He leaned forward in his seat. His elbows were placed on his crossed over knees as he threaded his fingers together. He placed his strong chin on his hands. His dark eyes glinted at me. "The secret lies in what a pawn can become. Pawns are simply ignored because they take a long time to get to the other side of the board. I play in such a way that I sacrifice the other pawns so that the player gets sidetracked with removing them."

It was my turn to lean forward in my chair. We were sharing a conspiracy. "The person forgets about the one pawn in front of the king and that is when the pawn becomes well protected to turn into a more powerful piece, perhaps a queen."

Kaname leaned back in his chair, taking his normal sitting position. "You definitely know how I play."

"You forget, I play you so often, I memorized your moves."

His lips cracked into a wider smile. "You're almost there," he revealed to me.

"Almost to what?" I asked him tranquilly as I inclined on my seat, appearing not as regal as my brother.

He put his threaded fingers across his mouth to hide a smirk. My eyes narrowed on him. "Thinking on the level of a pureblood."

I blinked at him.

"There's a reason I have Seiren teaching you all you need to know. Not only will you be a prodigy in a couple more years. You will be able to think on the same level as me."

I slightly shook my head in disbelief while I pass a hand through my mocha tresses. "I disagree with you, Kaname." I deliberately called his name for a reason. His dark orbs sharpened on me. "Your intelligence far exceeds mine. It's almost as if you lived another life."

"I did."

I blinked again. "Come again?"

"I did."

His statement astonished me to a point I stiffened in my chair. "What?"

"But that can't be." I moved to stand up. Then I began to pace back in forth in my brother's study room while nervously playing with my fingers. It was a habit I picked up when I couldn't logically think of a reason. "You're my brother. You're the first child born to Juri and Haruka. I can't think of you living a previous life." I stopped pacing and turned to stare at my brother. "And even that is highly impossible."

"I'm not you're real brother." He said with a serious face.

I waved my hands at him. "Of course, you are my real brother. Physically we look alike. The same blood flows through our veins."

"I won't say we're not related but I'm definitely not your brother." Suddenly, he rose from his seat and for the first time, I could recall, I felt wary of him.

"Bro-Kaname," I said while shaking my head. I retreated one step and he halted in place.

"Yuki." The way he said my name made my body shiver. "There's a reason I couldn't bring myself to fight against Rido." I noticed he didn't call him "uncle."

I knew I was going to regret asking him but there was a part of me that was inquisitive. "And why is that?"

"You might want to take a seat before I tell you the story." He gestured to the chair I previously sat on.

I shook my head.

"Are you sure?"

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. "Just tell me," I said fiercely.

For a second he smiled. Then, it vanished as his face turned grim. "Your Uncle Rido desired Juri." He didn't call her mother. "He wanted her for his selfish desires but when she rejected him, he got back at her by kidnapping her first child, your brother."

So I had a real brother.

"He used your brother to resurrect me as only a pureblood child can awaken an ancestor."

The thought of such a ritual sickened me. I clutched my hands over my stomach to try to hold back the bile that threatened to come out of me. Maybe I should have taken the pureblood on his offer to take a seat.

He didn't seem faze by my reaction. He simply continued. "I was thirsty from not consuming blood for many years. I reacted to his pureblood scent and drank most it. When I came to realize the truth, I decided to return something precious that had been taken away from your parents so I turned into a child and your parents adapted me as one of their own."

At the end of the story, I could feel tears running down my cheeks. My eyes became blurry. "So you're really not my brother, then?" It was a stupid question to ask.

"I am Kaname Kuran. I have the same name as your brother but I'm not him."

"And your life before that…."

"I remember bits and pieces. I was here when humans were on the brink of extinction. A hooded woman, who for some reason seemed close to me, fought to protect them. She's one of the reasons why Vampire Hunters exist."

My eyes widened at the precious information he shared. If what he said was true, Kaname was a lot older than me. But the idea of a hooded woman in his previous life being close to him bothered me.

"Were you really close to her? To the hooded woman?"

Kaname finally looked away from me. "I don't have many memories but from what I can recall, I was helping her to save the humans."

There must be private information that he couldn't tell me. If he was my brother, I could demand that he tell me everything. But he was a stranger.

Slowly, I backed away from him.

The feeling of safety faded. As if he sensed my retreat, he turned his attention on me. "Yuki," he said. He outstretched an arm to me. A wounded expression painted his face. I closed my eyes to block his hurt.

"I need time," I whispered. "Please."

"I understand." His footsteps moved closer to me. My body went rigid. I waited for his usual touch. Instead, he walked past me.

The door swung open. A cool breeze drafted around my frame.

"I will leave." His words drifted into the space between us.

Then the door closed with a click. A pain swelled in my chest, making it hard to breathe. I sank to the carpeted floor, crying my heart out. Seiren was the one who later found me curled up in a tight ball in Kaname's office.

She calmed me down by wrapping her arms around me and rocking me. She never asked questions or demanded I tell her what happened. Instead, she acted like an older sister who gave comfort to a younger sibling. And I was grateful.

"Kaname?" I asked after my sobbing died down.

"He's gone to stay at Aido's mansion for the day," she answered.

Automatically, my heart lurched in my chest. Kaname was slipping away from me like how water slipped through my fingers. I asked him to give me time but if he wasn't by my side, I had nothing left.

I pulled back in Seiren arms and looked up at her with rounded eyes. "Tell him to come back, please." More tears slipped from eyes. "Tell him to come home."

The silver haired teenager nodded her head while she smiled tenderly at me. "All right."

She stood up and left me alone in his office. I glanced around the room to take in the bookshelves, the luxurious chairs, the table where we played chess, to his magnificent desk. I decided it didn't matter if he was my brother or not. He was all that I had left; he was my family.

I didn't want to be alone.

I didn't want him to feel alone. And I realized that our greatest fear was to be without one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to bring out the relationship between Kaname and Yuki so you'll get an understanding of they came to be. As you may realize, this story is dark and the love between Yuki and Kaname will be twisted in a vampiric sort of way. But then again, vampire love stories are dark ones. Thank you for reading.


	4. New Parts of the Plan

I stirred, groaning softly as I rolled onto my back. The softness of the mattress pressed against my spine. The cool air hit against my exposed skin. I smelled the familiar scent of roses and lavender and knew once and for all that I was in Kaname's room. I forced my eyes to open. A fancy canopy with intricate gold markings loomed ominously above me, seeming to lean inward, as if ready to fall. For a moment, I tried to remember the last time I laid in Kaname's bed. It had been a long time since he mostly came to visit me in my bedroom.

There was no moon visible through the huge window next to the bedframe. I didn't need to see it to know where it was. The story where werewolves were the only ones connected to the moon was a fallacy. Vampires were also attracted to the moon since we were creatures of the night.

I frowned, staring up at the wall, trying to get my bearings, trying to remember how I got in the pureblood's bed. The only memory I had was telling Seiren not to worry about me after my unpleasant encounter with Aido. I didn't want him to get punished. He already hated me with a passion and I didn't want him to abhor me any further. It was better not to provoke vampires; they held grudges.

I wiped the dampness of sweat from my face with a trembling hand and I looked to my right. The wall had one side of a lane filled with shadows. There was a luxurious couch with a figure laying elegantly on it.

Swallowing heavily, trying to ignore the bitter taste of confusion and fear, I slowly sat up. The figure remained still. My mouth suddenly felt dry, my stomach heaved as I climbed unsteadily to my feet and staggered over.

The person moved a little and I froze.

I waited a long breadth before I spun away. My hand clamped across my mouth to keep from breathing out loud. I was almost to the door, my only retreat, when I heard my name.

"Yuki."

A chill ran across my skin.

"You're finally awake."

I bit my lip. It was too late to escape from my brother. I had to face the music. Slowly, I turned around to face the person sprawled casually but yet so beautifully across the couch. Even in total darkness, I could make out the slender arm covering a part of his face. One knee was in the air while his other long leg lay straight on the sofa.

"You were out for awhile."

I blinked, not expecting him to talk again. Usually, he left me fumbling for words. I could sense I did something wrong.

Something scraped along the wooden floor behind me. My body stiffened. Sweat skittered across my skin and my heart raced a nine to a dozen-a beat that echoed through the stillness. Times like this, in utter quietness, I reviled. It reminded me of helpless I was.

And I was definitely vulnerable to him. Kaname.

"I was beginning to worry that you won't wake up."

Sleep sounded good, better than getting punished by him.

"Did you have pleasant dreams?"

I blinked again before I slightly shook my head. I did have some dreams of when I was younger. The one dream that caused me to stir was finding out my brother wasn't really my brother. He was a distant relative who grew up in my brother's place. Then he left me alone and I realized that we couldn't do without one another.

"I can assume you had some nightmares. You were moving restlessly on my bed." He was having a light conversation yet his words caused my cheeks to flush. The way he said his bed had butterflies flying in my stomach. I lowered my head so that the long tangles of hair concealed my face and I slightly covered my abdomen with my hands.

"Do you care to share them with me?"

I usually told him my dreams but some dreams were better kept as secrets. I didn't want to burden him with more problems. I shook my head again.

I heard an intake of breath before there was a rustle of clothes. My body stiffened more as I waited for him to loom over me, silently demanding me with his bodily action to give into him.

"Yuki," he said, his voice deep, and somewhat husky. I found myself raising my head and my eyes widened at the sight before me. He was standing tall. His gaze swept down me, lingering a little on my breasts before sweeping down to my bare feet. Quickly, my eyes darted to my body and I crossed my chest with my arms. I was only dressed in a white nightgown but with the sweat from my earlier tossing made my nightgown become a see through. My cheeks heated.

A different type of shiver went up my spine and I stepped back to give us distance. Up close, I didn't have a fighting chance of facing Kaname and he knew that fact very well.

"You don't have to be shy with me." His sudden grin was warm, crinkling the corners of his dark eyes. I was also very weak to his smiles.

My body began to tremble. I turned my face to the side in hopes to keep space in between us. Instead, my movement caused me to expose a side of my throat.

From my peripheral vision, eyes glowed scarlet before returning to normal. Instantly, I shoved shaking hands through my hair to conceal the tender skin. The last thing I wanted to do was to tempt Kaname any further. If he took anymore blood, I wouldn't have a drop left.

"I know," I whispered.

He studied me from under dark lashes to a point my cheeks reddened with mortification. I glanced down awkwardly at my bare feet when I heard the smile from his heated tone. "Then why do you appear flustered?"

_Because, it's you_ , I wanted to answer him but I kept my mouth shut. Only he had that affect to make my body melt under his stare. To make my heart flutter, to render me speechless, to make my hormones go crazy.

My body began to ache, not from hunger for his blood, but from a different need.

I could feel my heart pounding beneath my fingers.

He leaned closer. His hot breath wafted across my face, making my lips part. "Or are you hiding something from me?"

And like that, the desire was doused by coldness. The air felt chillier against my exposed skin as I averted my gaze to his intense one. I began to rub my arms to get some warmth.

Did he know about the situation with Aido? Or was he talking about my dreams?

My lips parted as I tried to formulate an answer. But I learned long ago that it was better to stay silent than to lie to a pureblood. He always could see through my comments.

He lifted a cool and calloused hand against my cheek. His thumb rubbed slightly against my high cheekbone. A little shiver of delight coursed within me.

"You use to be able to tell me everything," he said quietly and then added after a brief pause, "and anything." Each word puffed against my lips.

I shut my eyes to hide my emotions.

"Don't," I finally managed one word. I placed both my hands against his broad chest, internally noting the hardness of him. I turned my face and inhaled a deep breath. Finally, I opened my eyes. "Don't use such an unfair tactic to make me talk."

His grin stretched across his sensual lips as he pressed his forehead to the crown of my head. "Ah, but it did work. I got you to talk."

"But I don't like how you do it," I confessed.

"And I dislike how you keep secrets from me, Yuki."

I pushed at the wall of his chest. He didn't budge. "Bro-Kaname."

Hearing the frustration in my tone, he allowed himself to take a step back. I focused my attention on him when I realized my mistake. His red-brown orbs were smoldering with a fire that formed a lump in my throat. There was another round of butterflies fluttering in my belly.

Again, he was rendering me speechless.

My eyelids drifted downward to shut out the sight of his exquisiteness. My tongue darted out of my mouth to lick my suddenly dry lips.

A thumb played across my lips, stealing my breath and my eyes shot open, widening as his lips was only centimeters away from mine. "Yuki, you can tell me anything." He pressed his forehead against the top of my head that I had to tilt my head back to get a better view of him. His blazing eyes put me in a daze. "At any time."

Then he did something unexpected. He cradled my face between both his large hands while he pressed softly moist lips against my forehead. My eyes widened more if possible.

"Know that I'm always here for you."

His hands dropped limply to his sides as he retreated. Short breaths left me as the coldness filled the space he previously occupied. "Now, get ready. We have an important guest arriving soon."

And as quick as lightening, his demeanor changed into his cold, detached politeness.

oOo

"Oohhh, why does he have to be so frustrating?" I muttered to myself while I tried to tie a bow behind me. I had donned on a simple royal blue baby doll dress but the string that I had to wrap around my waist made the dress difficult to assemble. I almost discarded the string, if it weren't for Seiren coming to my rescue. Apparently, she heard my mutters as she shook her head, causing her pale hair to follow her movement.

She deftly slipped her fingers between mine, lightly gesturing for me to let go while she began tying the two ends together.

I craned my neck over my shoulder. "Seriously, why do I have to put on this dress?"

"We're expecting an important visitor," she replied with a polite voice.

"Yes, I know that but who is it?"

She shrugged her shoulders. When she finished tie a bow behind me, she moved beside me so I could take a look at my reflection from the tall mirror against the wall of my room.

"I wish he can be more forthcoming about his agendas and yet he expects me to reveal everything to him."

"He is only looking out for you," she included her thought. I didn't mind. If anyone knew the inner secrets of how my mind operated, it was my beloved tutor, bodyguard, and sister all in one.

I glanced at her from the mirror, taking in her business attire which consisted of a black skirt suit. From her apparel, I knew this visitor was significant. Seiren dressed in black when formally trusted officials of the Kuran family were arriving at the Kuran residence.

"But if he leaves me in the dark, how can I support him? I feel like he doesn't trust me enough to let me in on his plans."

"Or he is trying to keep others from using you."

"Yeah." I tried to control the urge to roll my eyes. "However, he can't protect me from others when I'm formally introduced to the Vampire Society."

The other woman didn't say anything to his defense, which meant I pointed out the truth.

"And when that happens, do you think being the sheltered, naïve girl is going to help me?" I shook my head, causing mocha locks to fall pass my shoulders. "No. Instead, I need to spend time in the real world, get to know other people, experience new events."

"But that also means you'll be spending less time with him. Is that what you really want?" The bodyguard questioned my motives.

Her words made me pause. From childhood, I yearned for Kaname to be my side. Now, that he was home with me, I was the one who yearned to be outdoors. Was I willing to give up Kaname for my freedom?

Instinctively, I knew my answer. I wouldn't give up Kaname for the world.

As if she read my emotions, there was a hint of a smile. "You let your heart judge your actions instead of logic. If you're going to be Yuki Shiniba, the prodigy, then you need to let logic override your feelings."

I nodded my head at her wisdom. The truth in the matter was I took her place. The real genius was Seiren, who became my tutor to prepare me replace her when I was at Kaname's side. Other than being a pureblood, others who could walk beside Kaname were limited. One would have to be ranked high in social status like Hanabusa Aido or Takuma Ichijo. And then there were his personal servants such as his bodyguard and adviser.

"We should go," she advised me. "We shouldn't keep Lord Kaname and his important guest waiting."

Unlike my dull vampire senses, Seiren had already sensed the guest downstairs in Kaname's company. I smoothened out my dress and made my way to Kaname's study with Seiren keeping step beside me. On cue, the doors opened as a chilly wind breezed by me. My long hair and dressed ruffled with the wind. A thrill of excitement shot through me. The pureblood prince of the Kuran family used his powers to open the door, officially informing his guest our significance despite the fact that we were his servants.

Seiren was the first one to make an entrance as Kaname's politely detached voice introduced her as the Kuran's bodyguard. Then, it was my turn to enter the room.

My hands clutched the fabric of my blue dress. I tried my best to compose myself with grace like an aristocrat vampire. How I delegated myself in Kaname's presence reflected on his appearance because I was also under his care.

"Kaien, this is the prodigy I've been telling you so graciously about, Yuki Shiniba. She is also my ward." I walked through the threshold to be greeted by a tall and friendly man. However, my body went in alert when I sensed the deadly vibe he was emitting.

"Yuki, this is Kaien Cross. He is part of the Vampire Council and he will eventually be Chairman of Cross Academy."

I schooled my face into one of calmness as I faced him. "It's a pleasure to meet you." I bowed low to him in a grand display of respect despite the fact he hunted my kind for a living. If Kaname trusted him then I would play the nice hostess my brother expected me to be.

"So this is your adviser." he pointed out in a merrily voice. The moment I straightened up to my full height, he was circling around me with a fist under his chin. He scrutinized me under his spectacles. "She is very young as you say and quite cute looking like a doll." He stopped in mid-step and clapped his hands together. "I always wished to have a daughter."

Kaname's lips curled upward. "Don't you have two sons?"

The man's facial expression turned sad as fast as someone could change their clothes. "Yes, I do. And let me tell you, they're hard to deal with. One shows me little respect while the other one, well, who knows what the other one is thinking?"

I could understand why his children treated him the way they did but I couldn't help but feel bad for him. There must be something special about the guest standing before me for Kaname to respect him.

"But I'm proud of them and they will be prefects of the Day Class."

"So they will be protecting and keeping our secrets about vampires?" I queried.

"Yeah. I trained them myself to become strong vampire hunters. They will be able to fend off the amount of fan base the Night Class will achieve."

This fact I acknowledged because some of the students that would be attending Cross Academy were celebrities. Also, there was the fact that vampires were naturally beautiful creatures of the night. How else did vampires lure their prey?

"Will there be any sort of conflicts between them and us since they're vampire hunters?"

The man, who oddly wore a long gray poncho over a green buttoned up shirt and khakis, raised his eyebrows in speculation. "I can't say that everything will be dandy. One of my sons holds an extreme dislike for vampires."

"And you think it will be wise for him to be a prefect despite him holding a great loathing for vampires?"

The guest passed a hand through his ash blond hair, which I realized was long, only it was tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. "I know you question his motives but he has his heart set in the right place."

I sighed. "I only question if his extreme dislike will cause him to act irrationally to hurt a vampire."

He frowned. "He wouldn't."

It was my turn to look at him in speculation. "Really?"

"I don't think so."

"Either way, we can't afford to make anyone else a prefect," Kaname's smooth tone interjected.

My eyes darted from the guest to him. "Why?"

"Not many people will have the privilege to know about vampires attending Cross Academy."

"Then I can be a prefect," I volunteered.

"No, that won't do because you're a vampire."

"My sons are vampires too," Kaien informed me.

Kaname shifted his attention from me to his guest. "Your sons are a different matter."

"How so?" My tone became a challenge as I daringly stared at my brother.

He fixed me with an intense gaze that sent chills down my spine. "Because they are trained in their respective fields as vampire hunters."

The way he spoke in such a low octave made my heart pound faster. I was playing with fire.

"I can be of some help."

"But you don't know how to fight." And I got burned.

I lowered my head as shame burned my cheeks.

"Oh, don't be like that with the girl. Sometimes it takes more than brute force to win a fight," the vampire hunter defended me. While my head was concealed under dark locks of hair, my lips tilted upward in a small smile.

"I care to differ about vampires. Even Level E vampires are intelligent in how they catch their prey." Kaname's tone had a sharpness that sliced the air. This was one topic that neither me nor his guest could win. He must have sensed my smile for him to scold us.

The smile vanished from my face as I felt a hard stare on my form. I heaved in a breath as I lifted my head to look into his red-brown eyes.

As if noticing the tension between us, the vampire hunter turned his attention to the easiest person to converse with. That happened to be me. "Well, we have an important placement for you at Cross Academy."

Happy for the diversion, I shifted my eyes to the guest. "Really?" For a moment, pure, unadulterated joy filtered in me. I was going to be around other people. Finally, I was going to partake in the Vampire Society and communicate with humans.

"Yes, but it's an unusual one since all of the night class students that will be attending Cross Academy are from influential families. The acceptance of Level C vampires won't bode well with them."

"So what or who will I be?"

I didn't like the frown on his face. "Considering your position, as a pureblood's ward and adviser, I think it will be safe for you to be an assistant teacher."

It was rather ironic that the ideal of Cross Academy was to bring vampires and humans together, yet vampires held more prejudice over social status amongst their kind. Was it better to be human?

"An… assistant teacher," I repeated while I looked to Kaname for a reaction. As always, in front of others who were with me, his face gave nothing away.

"Yes, as an assistant teacher, you will be required to help out teachers with classroom instruction and have full access to the Moon Dormitory. Additionally, you will be accepted by other vampires as an assistant teacher because you're a prodigy."

I remained silent as did the pureblood.

"Besides, your test scores were almost unparalleled to the other test takers."

"Almost?" I lifted both eyebrows as I stared intently at my brother.

"One person beat you on one the exams, ranking him as the highest."

"And let me guess, it's Lord Kuran," I replied. My eyes moved from the royal prince of vampires to the vampire hunter. I did well in most subjects except for math. I just had a weakness for numbers. My mind was never good at computing figures like Kaname.

"Well, yes," he answered, looking astonished at my straight face.

With a mode of confidence from knowing the handsome male vampire standing across from me for so long, with only his desk separating us, I gave some indefinite truth. "I may tutor Lord Kuran in many academic subjects but he has an infinite comprehension for numbers, quite on a deeper level that I can reach."

The ash blond man blinked his eyes. "You should give yourself more credit. Lord Kaname is older than you." It was quite weird how we were talking about Kaname and he was just idle in his spot. Also, there was a fact that I was playing his tutor but being as such meant I had to be vastly more intelligent than him and yet the age difference between us allowed him to be smarter than me.

"I guess so." I had to humble myself. Quite the contrary, I was trying to prove myself to be the intellectual one and I messed up. Kaname's silence gave him this victory.

"So, when we begin school, you will be staying at a different dormitory from the Moon Dormitory. There is an extra one that we have built in case we get any transfers later on in the semester."

The going to be Chairman's words had my eyes widening. "I won't be with Seiren and Lord Kuran?" For a moment, the helpless child came out of me.

"Uh, don't worry," the ash blond man tried to reassure me. "My home won't be far away and you're welcome to visit me whenever you like."

"Yuki will be staying with me if she wishes it," the pureblood finally commanded. I sighed internally. Although I was plagued with nightmares, I was able to cope with them because Kaname was nearby.

"But will your fiancée…"

My eyes darted to Kaname at the mention of Sara Shirabuki. I didn't remember him mentioning her presence in Cross Academy. I thought the arrangement was for him to accept a marriage union so the construction of Cross Academy could be completed.

"She may be in the same position as President to the Moon Dormitory, however, I will handle my affairs as I see fit." The prince fixated his gaze on me while he left no room for argument.

I pursed my lips in hopes to withhold a rebuke.

There was yet another detail that Kaname forgot to mention. How many more was he hiding from me?

I turned my head away from him as a silent form of rebelling. Instead, I looked to vampire hunter who appeared astounded by the pureblood's temper. Apparently, since the guest have known my brother, he must have never seen him lose his temper as he did with me.

Inside, a part reveled at the idea that I, and I alone, had the power to make him lose control.

The air intensified in Kaname's office. "We end our discussion here," the pureblood finalized.

I saw how uncomfortable the guest was getting in our presence.

"Seiren, escort our guest outside."

How could I have forgotten that Seiren was in the office with us? She was as quiet as a tiger as she bowed to the vampire hunter and gestured for him to follow her out. I was going to tag after them when the vampire male called my name. "Yuki."

Great, just great! I was in trouble again.

I kept my back to him as I desperately dragged air into my system. Kaname stopped behind me, his rich scent of roses and lavender wafting in my nose. The fact I didn't hear his footsteps or feel his aura informed me of my dull vampiric senses.

"Yuki," he said deceptively soft.

I lifted my gaze as I watched the office doors closed at his bidding, yet I didn't feel him summon his pureblood power to do such a simple task.

I took another deep breath before swiveling on my feet. His gaze met mine, dark eyes seeming to gleam in the dimly lit room.

He put a warm finger under my chin and kept it there to hold me in place. A shiver ran down my spine. Why was I constantly pushing him to the edge? It was so unlike me to disobey him.

"Yuki?" This time his tone held a question as if waiting for me to answer him.

My eyelashes swept down, concealing him from my sight.

"Yuki," his tone lowered an octave in warning.

I crossed my arms to create a barrier between us.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"How could I? You're the one holding onto secrets."

He raised my chin slightly higher with his finger until I had no choice but to almost drown in his dark pools.

"I was going to eventually tell you everything."

Anger sparked in me. "Like Shirabuki attending Cross Academy and me being an assistant teacher."

"I was going to tell you at the right moment…"

"But you waited for me to discover it from some person I don't know?"

"I wasn't expecting him to reveal that much."

His remark had my eyes widening. Kaname was never one to be caught off guard by someone else so easily.

"Kaname, you want me to tell you everything yet you hide so much information from me. What else are you secreting?

He studied me for a moment, then looked away, his face expressionless but the air was vibrating with barely contained annoyance. A part of me was pleased that I could bring out such an emotion from the pureblood prince.

"I'm trying to protect you."

"Yeah, and look where it's getting us? Nowhere."

Something flickered in his eyes. "Yuki, you know why things have to be this way."

I studied him for a moment. "Actually, no I don't."

His sensual lips parted and I tried to recall on my anger. "My hands are tied despite me being a vampire prince. I still answer to Rido. The less you're involved with our revenge, the less likely of Rido's chances to obtaining you."

His logic was why I couldn't stay vex at him for a long period of time. He put me before everyone and everything else. He was willing to exact revenge on his own without jeopardizing my safety.

I reached for his hand supporting my chin. My other hand curled around his thick wrist while I lowered my forehead until his fingers brushed my hair. "I don't answer to him and that's where you'll need me."

"But you'll be in danger."

I looked up at him with determination flashing in my chocolate eyes. "We formed a plan together to get rid of a murderer and we'll stick to it. That means me attending Cross Academy and luring him there for our finality."

He lifted his other hand to my face. His thumb gently tickled my cheek. "I wish you weren't involve with this revenge."

"I know," I whispered as I closed my eyes to the pleasant sensation his touch was creating in me.

"I want, no, I need to protect you from him," he confessed. He pulled me to him and the feelings of warmth and security filled me.

I opened my eyes to look up at him and then electricity began to sizzle between us. He smiled slowly, intimately. My heartbeat tripped into overdrive, and air became a scarce commodity. His smile was reserved for the bedroom, sexy and exotic.

His gaze burned mine for several more wild heartbeats, then rolled languidly down my body, melting where it rested, however brief. Pressure exploded low down, fanning the rest of me in stormy waves. The air was so thick I could hardly breathe. If I tiptoed and curved my arms around his neck, our lips would meet and everything else would become a distant memory but I had to be the bigger person. I took a step back and without waiting for his permission I turned and fled from him.

oOo

The moment I escaped the pureblood, I went to the only place he couldn't find with me, our special garden that grew roses all year round. Something about the garden put me at ease. It was the place I went to clear my mind or to seek answers. The one issue I wanted to calm down now was my racing heart.

But it was hard to do with the thoughts of him.

My brother, no, Kaname and I had a bubbling relationship between us. I could see how he fought to control the beast within him when it came to bloodlust. He called it his darkness and I was suppose to be his light. I didn't understand what he meant because I, too, thirsted for his blood. The crimson liquid that flowed through his veins was what sated me. Didn't that mean I was a monster too?

I shook my head. We weren't monsters. We were vampires and we drank blood. What made us monsters was the type of power we held over humans and our lifespans. And the fact that we viewed life differently from humans.

Seiren told me humans' lifespan were centimeters among yards of a vampire's existence. Their life was like a flame, vibrant from so many different emotions whereas vampires tend to smolder, emotions took time to build but it remained everlasting.

Sometimes when she talked about the lives of humans, there was a faraway look in her ocean eyes. I never questioned her about it, believing that one day she might open up to me about her origins. All I knew was that the last name I included with my first name was a part of her family.

Perhaps, Kaname would tell me more about her too.

I made my way to the center of the garden where there was a swing. The ropes were tied to a large branch at the top. The seat rocked back in forth with the swaying of the winds. Automatically, I sat down on it and my fingers curled around the thick ropes. It had been awhile since I last visited the garden.

Just then, a big large shadow greeted me. Instead of yelping in fright, I smiled imploringly at the creature. One of my hands let go of the rope to beckon the animal to sit before me. As if the creature read my mind, he prowled in front of me and sat on his haunches. His mouth opened while his pink tongue stretched over sharp teeth. I wondered if Kaname or Seiren felt his presence on our estate. Normally, the pureblood prince erected a barrier alerting him of intruders.

But this rather large black wolf wasn't an ordinary one. Intelligence shimmered in his unusual caramel eyes. When I conversed with him, he responded as though he understood what I was saying. He was the one who helped organized my troubling feelings and I was grateful to have him as a friend.

"Surely, I hope that Kaname doesn't find out about you. Who knows how he will act," I commented as I petted his black fur with my available hand. He leaned his head more into my touch while he closed his eyes in pleasure. My smile turned into a big grin. "I think he might envy you if he saw us now."

The wolf barked and a bubble of laughter erupted from my throat. I had to cover my lips with my bare arm. A breeze past by me and I found myself rubbing at my exposed forearms. In my haste to get away from the house, it left my mind to don on a coat. Although the ground wasn't blanketed in snow, outside felt as cold as Aido's power.

"It wasn't bright of me to come outside without a coat," I voiced my opinion. "Or without gloves, a scarf and a hat."

I could imagine my appearance the moment Seiren set her eyes on me. Or worse, Kaname.

The wolf rose on his feet and crowded me. I hugged him while I smiled, thankful for the warmth his furry body temporarily provided me.

"Thank you, Bone." I felt bad that I gave him a terrible name. I wasn't creative with names but I couldn't call him Ebony because it sounded like a feminine name or Ebon for short, although it described the color of his fur. Fluffy was a degrading name for such a powerful animal. Bone might have disgraced him but I realized how much he enjoyed chewing on bones. It was a treat I made sure to bring to him when I decided to pick roses to decorate certain rooms in the Kuran house.

"I wonder if you protect this garden," I began to wonder out loud. "I mean why else are you here? Kaname won't allow someone to trespass in our special place without reason." I pulled back to look at the creature and lovingly petted his muzzle. "The thing is this garden only allows Kuran members or anyone they deem trustworthy to come here. You're not a Kuran."

My hand halted. "Or are you?"

The wolf simply let his tongue loll out his mouth. I laughed while shaking my head at such an absurd thought. "Nah!"

I hugged him again only to find myself giggling as he started to lick my face. "Stop it!" I said merrily.

He moved away and tilted his head to the side. His caramel eyes never left my face. Again, I shook my head. "I wish Kaname can open to me like you." What was I doing comparing Kaname to a wolf?

My eyes shut as cool fingertips touched my forehead. "I know he wants to protect me but if he can trust me more, let me in, then he won't be alone." I opened my eyes to see the black wolf staring curiously at me. "I won't be lonely either."

I could have sworn he understood me as he moved closer to rub his soft fur against my cold cheek. "Is revenge going to be worth it?" I whispered.

I raised my arms to encircled his throat. I buried my face into his black fur, allowing the smell of the forest and pinecones to soothe me. "You know what? Let's not think about this. I better get going before he throws a tantrum." I let go of the creature and stood up. He tilted his head again as my lips stretched across my face. "Yep, he will throw a tantrum like a child." I smothered my laughter by biting my bottom lip.

"Bye, Bone. Be good." I spun around and walked the path to leave the garden while he trailed a little behind me. It was only when I was safe within the house walls, did he mysteriously vanish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, things are go going to get more exciting! One, Yuki will be introduced into the Vampire Society and two, Cross Academy will be open. As for the relationship between Kaname and Yuki, there are obstacles. Remember, Kaname had her to himself and Yuki only had him to rely on. So them meeting other people will be interesting.


End file.
